Caterpillar VST: Machine Data Comparison

Overview

The Total Cost of Ownership workflow helps Caterpillar dealers compare the financial implications of different equipment options with customers. As lead UI designer, I designed a responsive experience that moves from machine selection and comparison templates to detailed cost configuration and visual reports.

The Challenge

An equipment decision extends beyond the initial purchase price. Dealers need to explain operating costs and customer-specific assumptions across Caterpillar and competitor machines, including equipment being considered for purchase, rental, or rebuild. The challenge was to support a quick initial comparison while allowing a deeper analysis when the conversation required it.

Context + Constraints

The workflow needed to accommodate multiple product families, models, and comparable machine options. Financial assumptions could apply across the comparison or differ by machine. It also needed to remain usable on mobile, where a wide, data-dense comparison cannot simply retain its desktop layout.

Key Design Decisions

Preconfigured comparison templates provide a starting point without requiring users to build every analysis from scratch. Adjustable inputs preserve the flexibility to reflect a customer’s circumstances. Global controls support changes across machines, while individual controls accommodate meaningful differences. Responsive layouts balance access to detailed inputs with the space available on smaller screens.

Implementation + Collaboration

I worked closely with the business team to understand dealer and customer needs, then refined the workflow through several rounds of prototyping. I designed product-family and model selection, comparison-template configuration, financial inputs, and reports. Tables and graphs provide complementary ways to examine cost differences and communicate the resulting analysis.

The "So What"

The resulting design supports both an initial equipment comparison and a more detailed, customer-specific evaluation. It connects configurable assumptions to financial results across desktop and mobile layouts. The central design takeaway is that decision-support tools need to make both the conclusion and the assumptions behind it understandable.